Dhow

sailing ships · Indian Ocean · trade history · wooden vessels

Triangle sails catch wind. Dhows are known for their special triangle-shaped sails called lateen sails that let them sail efficiently even with shifting winds across the ocean.

Cargo ships of the sea. These sturdy vessels were built to haul heavy goods like fruit, fresh water, and merchandise between ports along the coasts of Arabia, Iran, East Africa, and South Asia.

Long, thin wooden hulls. Dhows have sleek, stretched-out hulls that help them move smoothly through the water while carrying loads of cargo.

Crews of many sailors. A large dhow might need about thirty crew members to sail it, while smaller ones worked with just around twelve people working together.

Ancient trade routes. For hundreds of years, dhows connected distant ports and helped traders exchange goods across the Indian Ocean and Red Sea regions.